Cain Daytona Robusto

The Oliva family's generations of experience in the tobacco industry has served them well. Now the second-largest grower of tobacco in Nicaragua, they’re known for some of the finest crops in the world and are renowned for creating legendary cigars using the most skilled rollers and blenders in the country. Placing the orange band at the foot of the Daytona is a broad hint—this smoking experience is going to be unique. The cigar is a Nicaraguan puro consisting of 100% Cuban-seed, long-leaf ligeros from the Jalapa Valley—renowned for its smooth but rich tobaccos that are used to create balance in full-flavored, full-bodied blends. The foot of the cigar is a little musky to the nose. The draw is perfect and serves up notes of earth with a classic barnyard edge, but there’s also a pleasant underlying sweetness. Expect deep notes of coffee and rich tobacco flavors complemented by a slight peppery kick and more sweet tones on the finish. The cigar produces a mostly light color ash with some salt and pepper effects to it. The medium-bodied Cain Daytona is extremely smooth, full of flavor and has a subtle complexity. Pair it with a small batch bourbon such as Maker's Mark or Knob Creek.

The Nicaraguan cigar industry originated when Cuban cigar makers escaped the revolution and re-established their livelihood in Nicaragua with Cuban-seed tobacco. Blessed with dark, rich soil, their new home was ideal for tobacco cultivation and Nicaragua quickly became known for cigars that rivaled Cuban quality. Unfortunately, revolution and war came to Nicaragua in the 1980s and devastated the industry, but it’s rebounded dramatically and is once again producing tobacco considered by many to be the finest in the world. The Esteli Valley is in many ways the heart of Nicaraguan production and is known for its very powerful and spicy tobacco. The Jalapa Valley produces arguably the finest tobacco in the country: somewhat sweeter and less intense than Esteli, but extremely complex. The tobacco of the Condega Valley is often described as a blend of the other two regions.